Rubber, plastic, metal, fiber reinforced plastic or rubber, and paper containers are commonly used to hold and transport a wide variety of liquids, gases, and fine particulate solids.
Liquid filled containers may include, for example, fuel tanks, bladders, and cells, liquid water containers, and liquid containers such as portable tanks, collapsible tanks, and pillow tanks containing liquid chemicals that may or may not be hazardous to the environment. Fuel bladders, including aircraft fuel bladders (fixed wing and helicopter), are typically designed to be lightweight. Aircraft fuel bladders are often constructed to be deformable so that they can be inserted into a space within the aircraft to support fuel containment. Lightweight, ground-based tanks (for fuel, water, or other materials) are also desirable to reduce logistics and transportation costs, and lightweight tank designs in vehicles (ground or marine) can increase fuel economy. Flexible and lightweight containers are often at risk of blunt impact damage from, e.g., a drop, a collision with another object, ballistic impact, or an impact from another high speed projectile. Likewise, rigid or semi-rigid containers may crack or fracture upon sustaining blunt impact damage. Blunt impact damage may include, for example, initial impact forces, as well as any forces that result from an impact event, including, for example, hydraulic ram and like effects due to pressure waves created within the containment structure as a result of the impact event.
Gas filled containers may include, for example, light airships such as weather balloons and blimps, and inflatable boats. Gas filled containers may be made from, for example, fabric coated rubber or plastic, thin films of plastic (e.g., polyethylene terephthalate), or flexible hollow plastic structures. Like liquid filled containers, gas filled containers often are designed to be flexible and lightweight. Gas filled containers are also often at risk for blunt impact damage. In addition, gas filled containers may be subject to internal pressure increases from changes in atmospheric conditions.
Particulate filled containers may include, for example, fabric or fiber reinforced plastic bags containing fertilizers, sand, cement, powder coating resins, and the like. Such containers are often at risk for blunt impact damage from, e.g., a drop during handling or a collision with another object during shipping.
As set forth above, common desirable elements of liquid, gas, and particulate filled containers include flexibility, minimal weight, and resistance to impact. A need exists to provide reinforcement to such containers. Current reinforcement systems unduly restrict flexibility, are too weighty, or provide inadequate resistance to pressure loads, including loads resulting from impact or other over-stresses.